A new welcome team dedicated to delivering a warm Chester welcome has taken to the city centre streets thanks to funding from CH1ChesterBID.

The new CH1ChesterBID welcome team has begun guiding and assisting visitors in the city centre and providing help and support so people make the most of their visit to the city.

Every weekend throughout the Summer, the team will also highlight the city’s heritage, signpost visitors to attractions, shops and restaurants and help promote all the businesses based in the heart of the city.

The new team – Fiona Astley, Laurence Ellis and Emily Tuke – form part of a campaign from the city’s Business Improvement District (BID) aimed at giving visitors to Chester a memorable experience so they return and stay longer.

Rita Waters, Chief Executive of CH1ChesterBID Company, said: “The aims of the new CH1ChesterBID welcome team are to make a positive impact on people’s experience of the city, to help them find interesting and different places to visit, and to promote the city as a friendly and vibrant place to be.

“We’re delighted that Fiona, Laurence and Emily are joining us to help us launch the first stage of our welcome programme. They are all local residents with genuine passion and enthusiasm for the city and I’m confident they’ll do a wonderful job helping us to promote Chester as a destination of choice.

“This team will support CH1ChesterBID’s ambitions to create a more prosperous and vibrant future for the city centre. We want to ensure people come back time and again, so we’ll continue to work with city centre businesses and our partners to enhance the welcome people receive when they step foot in our wonderful city.”

The welcome team recently completed bespoke training developed by CH1ChesterBID in conjunction with Marketing Cheshire which focused on customer service excellence, the city and its attractions, and the role of a Business Improvement District.